Eaton Rec Center on time and on budget to open this summer
By Dayana Pena
Photos by Nina Lewis
The Eaton Recreation Center has been under construction since April, and the town of Eaton can look forward to its grand opening the summer of 2017.
According to Nina Lewis, president of the board of directors, FCI Construction has been running very smoothly and has had almost no setbacks with everything on schedule and built in a timely manner. As of September, Lewis said, “$25.75 million has been invested in the Rec Center including construction, design and permits.” Lewis said that construction has not faced many of the typical setbacks that many projects do. The biggest concern is “beating the weather,” Lewis said, in order for concrete to set and paint to cure. “That will save a ton of money,” Lewis said, if they don’t have to pay for heating and tents.
The new recreation center will include:
- A leisure pool with lazy river and warm therapy pool
- 2 lane lap pool
- 2 gym floors
- Children watch area
- Party and community rooms with small platforms
- 2 baseball/softball fields
- Locker rooms
- Inviting Lobby
- Office and maintenance rooms
- Patio
The upstairs portion of the recreation center will include:
- Weights
- Cardio machines
- Fitness rooms
- And a tenth-of-a-mile indoor track (slightly bigger than a standard track)
According to Lewis, the committee’s goal is for the recreation center to be a very welcoming and friendly place for all ages, from children to senior citizens. So far the total construction will encompass 62 thousand square feet. Lewis said the only challenges that the recreation center committee has faced are financial challenges. “As board members we try to get as much in the building as (people) voted for.” When people voted for the Rec Center, they wanted it to include many things, but there wasn’t enough money to get everything people wanted. The board has gone from the top priorities down to the last and has tried to include everything, Lewis said. The board is hoping to add to the recreation center when money becomes available. Just to add a full competitive 25-meter pool with 8 lanes and locker rooms would have cost $5.2 million. Even though it has faced financial challenges, the board continues to write grants, seek private, foundations and create fundraising ideas in order to add more features to the recreation center. $7 million dollars are needed to build out the rest of the recreation center, which would be two more baseball/ fields and a multi-purpose field.
One of the popular fundraising events is the brick campaign in which community members can personalize a brick that will become a permanent part of the community center. “It is super exciting… it’s definitely fun to see it come to life,” Lewis said. Board members have been invited to come to other communities to discuss the Eaton construction. The Eaton Rec Center has become a model for many other small towns who hope to bring their community together, while inspiring a healthy lifestyle.
